KENNETH Ledsham’s friends raised a glass to the man they had stood by for the last seven months and cheered when they heard the not guilty verdict.

As news of the Crewe grandad’s acquittal filtered through by phone and text, regulars at his local were visibly moved.

But the celebrations were low key as they were all very much aware that a man had lost his life.

Lloyd Kidd, a friend of Kenneth’s for 10 years, said: “We are all very pleased that Ken has been released and we can’t wait to welcome him home but our sympathy goes out to the other family.”

Landlady Shirley Partington said: “We are all so relieved it’s over and we look forward to welcoming him back.”

Kim Turner first met Kenneth when she was working behind the bar of a pub in Crewe.

“I’m absolutely made up,” she said, speaking just after the verdict had just come in. “A member of Ken’s family phoned me up. I was expecting not guilty because it was self-defence but I thought he would do a bit of time. I’m absolutely over the moon.

“Ken was one of my first customers . He was sarcastic, funny and always had a smile on his face. He would make the hours go quicker.”

Several of Kenneth’s friends and family visited him during the seven months he spent in prison on remand.

Shirley said: “He’s such a lovely man. He rang the pub when he was in prison and we all spoke to him and said could we go and see him and he said ‘do you want to see me?’.

“I told him, we all wanted to do.”

Such was the support for Ken that a Facebook group was started up and his family and friends spoke to the Chronicle when he was first charged.

“We’re very grateful to the Chronicle which supported him,” said Shirley.